This is a blog concerning the lives of a teacher, an Okie, a misadventurous redhead with a big temper and a good deal of neuroses, an activist, a coffee-obsessed runner and a friend to many friends. All of these people live in the same body and take turns running the keyboard. This is a blog about the struggle for equality and peace and blood and sometimes just for fun.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Love and Hate Part 2

I don't want to finish my syllabi. I mean, I love the classes but hate all that work at the beginning of the quarter- which begins on Thursday. So as Grey makes us some salad for dinner (more on that in a minute), I'm going to mirror what my MIL wrote on her blog earlier today. She wrote about the things she loves and hates about January.

We are very different people- We are about a foot apart in height; she has lovely dark hair and I have red, and she's a lover of heat and many things related to the South. I am most definitely a Northerner and seek cold, and I love everything from the architecture here to the distinct lack of reptilian, flying and biting things that exist in those nether regions.

Despite that, she and I both (I think) have warm hearts and a fondness for family. We both keep blogs and adore people named Cavitt. And we are both funny, though most of her humor is actually funny and Grey often makes that "I'm fake laughing but you're not really funny" face when I make jokes. It's not funny if I have to explain my joke more than once. Sigh. I get a lot of pity laughter.

Glorious Snow and Mountains and Stuff

Ok, top ten things I love about January:

1. Snow. Beautiful, clean, happy, snuggly snow

2. Skiing. Downhill or cross country, I don't care

3. Warm houses

4. Snuggly pets

5. Snuggly husband

6. Sweaters/sweats/slippers

7. Warm scarves

8. Fireplaces

9. Card games

10. Yummy holiday treats

Pennance: Gym Attendance

And the top ten things I hate about January:

1. Weight gain

2. Walking around barefoot

3. Cold feet in bed (not naming names, but his initials are G.R.E.Y.)

4. Too lazy to go outside

5. Fear of my clothes being too tight

6. Wet socks

7. Wet shoes in the house

8. Poor insulation

9. Lack of my favorite fresh fruits

10. Dark days and nights

So there you have it. I'm not sure I really hate that the days are so short right now, but it does make me sleepy earlier. Last week in the evening, about 8:30, Grey asked me what I wanted to do that night. I suggested we take a nap before bed.

Unfortunately, I am good at baking things. I whipped up three batches of fudge for the holidays and hundreds of cookies. I ate a lot of them. And now, I have stopped. Maybe it is counterintuitive to have a season where I don't watch so closely what I eat. It's part of a cycle for me. I tend to weigh more in the winter and less in the summer. So I guess that's why this concept appears on both of my lists. Of course, the difference isn't awfully noticeable; it's maybe 5 pounds.

So yes, Grey has taken our dietary decisions in hand. Primarily, I come up with ideas and he does actual stuff. When I say "I'd like to eat vegan twice a week", I can hold to that but it will usually mean I'm eating Snickers bars and raw cauliflower that day with some fruit juice. And wine is vegan too. Maybe some chips? For Grey it's the creation of a brand new yummy, low-fat hummus with lots of olives and cumin and veggies and pita for dipping. Waaay better. Still, if you have a main course recipe you'd like to share that's vegan and yummy, let me know. It's salad night, but not vegan night tonight. I'm going to have some cheese on my salad to celebrate.

About Me

I live my life between two worlds: Oklahoma and Washington state. My blog comments on the things I see around me; locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. I'm most interested these days in social justice.
I'm an English professor, researcher, friend, wife, sister, stargazer, poet, grandchild, aunt, cousin extraordinaire, and storyteller above all else.